Chrysanti Chandra Pre-Philosophy Statement

Student Pre-Philosophy Statement Assignment

Chrysanti Chandra

5007511881

College of Southern Nevada

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Chrysanti Chandra Pre-Philosophy Statement

My personal belief dictates that educators and teachers need to play an active

role in promoting inclusivity in the classroom and in the environment, regardless of

the presence of a special needs child. My educational pedagogies are influenced

heavily by Vgotysky’s Constuctivism approach, Bronfenbrenner’s Biological model

of development, and Bandura’s social learning theory (Duchesne & McMaugh,

2016). Vygotsky’s Constructivism and Bandura’s social learning theory stresses the

importance of socio-cultural elements, language, relationships and communication

between students, their peers, and educators (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2016). From my

placements in preschool and elementary school back in Australia, I have seen these

theories in practice and saw that young children’s learning potential are heightened

when they share learning experiences with their peers. Furthermore, Bronfenbrenner’s

Biological model of development focused on the importance of the individual and

how the different levels of systems around them (e.g. school, family, neighborhood,

country, society) effect children’s learning needs and behavior (Tudge et al., 2017).

Though these pedagogies were heavily influenced from my previous early childhood

degree, the course materials often overlooked in preparing us in how to differentiate

lessons and cater to students with special needs. I am hoping this course can teach me

the basic skills and knowledge to work with children with disabilities and help me to

be more aware of special education.

I have very little knowledge of the special education in the American school

system, as I just arrived in the country three weeks ago. I am slowly learning the

general American school system but am researching more about disabilities in the

United States. When I lived in Australia, I worked in a public elementary school that

was also a centre for deaf education. The school integrate AUSLAN (Australian Sign

Language) lessons, employ various teachers/educators that is fluent in AUSLAN and

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Chrysanti Chandra Pre-Philosophy Statement

integrate the use of AUSLAN in everyday classrooms. For example, during

assemblies the school would sing the national anthem in AUSLAN, and teachers

would greet students “good morning” in AUSLAN, as the students greet them back.

The integration of working with children with various disabilities in the school and its

active inclusive curriculum was an eye-opening experience, as I witness children’s

tolerance and acceptance in the young children. Even when bullying can be a problem

in any school, a child has never been bullied because of the disability, ethnicity or

physical differences in the school. Teachers and educators who are not fluent in

AUSLAN (including me) often asked students to teach them instead, and this

reciprocal learning relationship between educator and students was an amazing

experience to see.

Creating reciprocal relationships and being open-minded are important things

for an effective teacher, and I strive to be able to create a positive learning

environment as I experienced before. I personally want to make a difference in

students’ lives and help children realize that there is no pressure in conformity, and

that diversity is celebrated. I have no shame in saying that I still have a lot to learn,

and that I will continue learning to becoming an effective teacher for years to come.

Another important aspect to be an effective educator is to be a reflective teacher, and

to constantly be evaluating your own pedagogies, approaches, and viewpoints. I

learned during my work experience that communication is one of the most important

element to becoming an effective teacher, therefore it is important to understand how

children learn, their interests and their needs. This is particularly true with children

with disabilities as they may need extra support or different approaches than in a

general classroom. For example, I learned being able to do communicate briefly in

AUSLAN helped me create a relationship with a new student who was deaf. I look

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forward in broadening my knowledge and understanding in special needs education,

particularly within the American educational landscape. Due to visa restrictions, I am

not able to find part time or casual employment in a school or daycare as I study,

which is unfortunate as I find experience to be the best way to learn. I hope being in

CSN can expand my understanding of the American educational system and help me

prepare to be engaged in the field one day.

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References
Duchesne, S. & McMaugh, A. (2016). Educational Psychology for Learning and
Teaching. Victoria: Cengage Learning.

Killen, R. (2016). Becoming a reflective teacher. In R. Killen (Ed.). Effective

teaching strategies: lessons from research and practice (pp. 103-121). Melbourne:
Victoria: Cengage.

Tudge, J. R. H., Merçon-Vargas, E. A., Liang, Y. & Payir, A. (2017). The importance
of Uni Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological theory for early childhood education. In L. E.
Coher & S. Waite-Stupiansky (Eds.), Theories of Early Childhood Education:
Developmental, behaviourist and critical (pp. 45-67). London, UK: Routledge.

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